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Garcia struggling early, Hardy extends hitting streak (O's down 5-2)

Freddy Garcia isn't making the Padres regret their decision to release him in spring training.

Garcia has faced 11 batters in two innings and allowed two runs and five hits, with one walk and one strikeout. He's thrown 40 pitches, 24 for strikes.

The Orioles turned a 5-4-3 double play on Carlos Quentin's ground ball to bail out Garcia in the first inning, but No. 9 hitter John Baker collected his first two RBIs of the season with a two-out single in the second.

Garcia took a perfect game into the seventh inning in his Orioles debut in Anaheim, but he absorbed the loss against the Royals on Thursday after allowing four runs and five hits over six innings.

Shortstop J.J. Hardy cut the deficit in half by leading off the bottom of the second inning with his seventh home run of the season, and his fourth in the last 10 games.

Hardy also extended his hitting streak to 11 games, tying Manny Machado for the longest by an Oriole this season.

Hardy is 14-for-39 (.359) with four homers, eight RBIs and six runs scored during the streak.

Machado singled in the first inning, but he grounded into a double play to end the second after back-to-back walks to Steve Pearce and Nate McLouth.

McLouth was robbed of a hit in the first inning on a sensational diving catch from Padres shortstop Everth Cabrera. McLouth is 5-for-30 lifetime against right-hander Jason Marquis.

Update: Garcia lasted only 3 2/3 innings today, and he's charged with four runs and seven hits, with two walks, one strikeout and one home run.